Transport cart

ABSTRACT

A transport cart for material carriers such as bobbins or drums having threads or other elongated material wound thereon, has a cart frame with wheels and a tilting frame journalled in said cart frame. The tilting frame carries two parallel skids for supporting a material carrier on its rollers. The tilting frame is tiltable between a first position in which the skids extend horizontally for loading a material carrier onto the cart, and a second position in which the skids extend vertically for unloading a material carrier, or vice versa.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a transport cart, particularly for a materialcarrier which carries one or more bobbins or drums on which elongatedmaterial is wound, for example, textile materials such as threads woundon bobbins or spools.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Conventional transport carts for such material carriers comprise awheeled cart frame supporting two parallel skids on which a materialcarrier equipped with rollers may be shifted back and forth. It iscustomary to move a material carrier which has been transported by sucha transport cart entirely along the skids into a dyeing chamber whilethe material carrier is loaded with winding members having wound thereontextile material. For this purpose the dyeing chamber which has alongitudinal axis extending horizontally, is equipped with a lateraldoor for the entry of the material carrier. However, it is necessary,for example, for a preliminary dewatering of the textile material woundon the winding members, to remove these winding members either in groupsor individually from the material carrier in order to place thesewinding members into a drum constructed for rotation about a verticalaxis. Prior art transport carts are not convenient for this purpose ofmoving a carrier between horizontal and vertical stations.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing it is the aim of the invention to achieve thefollowing objects singly or in combination:

to construct a versatile transport cart especially for a materialcarrier loaded with wound up textile material in such a manner that theloaded material carrier can be easily tilted from a position in whichits longitudinal axis extends substantially horizontally into anotherposition in which its longitudinal axis extends at an angle to thehorizontal or substantially vertically;

to adapt such a transport cart for picking up a loaded material carrierfrom a position in which it is substantially horizontally oriented anddelivering the carrier into a position in which its longitudinal axis issubstantially vertically oriented so that an individual handling ormanipulation of the textile carrying bobbins or groups of such bobbinsbetween different treatment processes is avoided;

to provide means for locking the material carrier in its position on thecart against movement along its skid rails; and

to provide locking means for locking the skid rails in a substantiallyhorizontal position and for latching the skid rails in a substantiallyvertical position on the cart.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The transport cart according to the invention is characterized in thatthe skids for the material carrier are mounted in a tilting frame whichin turn is journalled in the cart frame. The tilting of the tiltingframe in the cart frame is accomplished by journal studs rigidly securedto the cart frame in such positions that the journal axis extendssubstantially through a zone in which the center of gravity of thematerial carrier is located. The tilting frame includes carrier armssecured to the journal studs whereby it becomes possible to tilt thematerial carrier by 90° out of its substantially horizontal orientationinto a plane which is oriented substantially vertically. Thus, thematerial carrier in its horizontal position can easily be moved relativeto a dyeing chamber having a substantially horizontal orientation. Onthe other hand, the material carrier in its vertical orientation caneasily be lifted out of the tilting frame by means of an overheadlifting mechanism, for moving the material carrier into the drum of acentrifuge having a vertical structural orientation. The materialcarrier can be easily lowered into or lifted out of the drum by thevertical lifting mechanism. Similarly, once the dewatering in thecentrifuge is completed, the material carrier can again be loaded ontothe tilting mechanism, whereupon the tilting mechanism is again broughtinto its horizontal orientation for moving a material carrier into adyeing chamber.

By arranging the journal studs in such a manner that the journal axisextends substantially through the center of gravity zone of the materialcarrier in its loaded condition, the forces needed for stabilizing thematerial carrier in its end positions are relatively small so thatrespective locking and latching members need to take up respectivelysmall forces.

The tilting frame according to the invention is equipped with means foravoiding any unintended movement of the material carrier along the skidsin any of its two possible positions. One end of the material carrier isrestrained by a holding arm journalled on a central shaft which in turnis supported by transverse beams forming part of the tilting frame. Thetransverse beams interconnect the skids and the holding arm tiltablysecured to the central shaft carries, preferably at its upper end, anengaging member for entering into an opening of the material carrier tohold the carrier on the skid rails. Preferably, the engaging memberenters into a central opening of the material carrier, whereby suchcentral opening is located in a circular base plate of the materialcarrier. The other end of the material carrier is restrained on thematerial skids by one, preferably two stop members, at least one ofwhich is adjustable in its position relative to the carrier and skids.The engaging member which enters into a hole, preferably a central holeof the material carrier, holds the latter against displacement in oneaxial direction and against displacement in both circumferentialdirections while the above stop members hold the material carrieragainst displacement in the opposite axial direction. Thus, the holdingarm with its engaging member holds the material carrier, especially whenthe skids are tilted out of the horizontal orientation into the verticalposition.

Preferably, the cart frame is equipped with a bracket which supports theskids when the latter are tilted by 90° out of the vertical plane intothe substantially horizontal orientation, whereby a locking membersecures the tilting frame and thus the skids to the support bracketagainst an unintended or accidental tilting movement. The just describedfeatures have the advantage that the material carrier and the tiltingframe are retained in the desired position at all times, wherebyespecially the skids are fixed in their horizontal position which theypreferably take up during movement of the cart from one location toanother.

The stop members which are preferably provided in pairs for each skidprovide stop means for blocking the carrier rollers so that a relativemovement of the material carrier on the skids is prevented. Preferably,at least one set of stop members is adjustable along the length of theskids. Thus, it is possible to first move the adjustable stop out of theway so that the material carrier may be moved sufficiently far to theright for bringing the holding arm and its engagement member into such aposition that the engagement member can move into the opening of thematerial carrier when the latter is moved toward the holding arm. Theadjustable stop member is then moved against the material carrierrollers at the end opposite to the holding arm, whereby the materialcarrier is securely held at both ends.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, it will now bedescribed, by way of example, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the present cart with a material carrier shownin its horizontal orientation by dash-dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the cart as viewed in the direction of thearrow A in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, but showing the tiltingframe in its vertical orientation as compared to the horizontalorientation shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS AND OF THE BESTMODE OF THE INVENTION

The cart shown in the drawings comprises a cart frame structure 2supported by cart wheels 1. A bottom frame section is formed byinterconnecting, for example, by welding U-rail members 2b, 2c, and 2dtogether. Two upright posts 2a are secured to the bottom frame sectionand to reinforcing plate members 2e which in turn are secured to thelongitudinal rails 2d and to two front bracket posts 10 which in turnare interconnected by a cross support beam 10a.

A tilting frame comprising primarily two parallel skids 3 and 3' carriedby mounting arms 8 are journalled to the upright posts 2a by rigidjournal studs 9. The skids 3 and 3' are connected to the arms 8 by crossmembers 8a. Additionally, the skids 3, 3' are connected through tiltingframe members 11a, 11b and 11c to cross beams 11, whereby the tiltingframe forms a cradle type support for a material carrier 5 equipped withrollers 4 riding or resting on the two parallel skids 3, 3'. Thematerial carrier 5 also has a bottom plate 5a provided with an opening5b, preferably extending coaxially with the central longitudinal axis ofthe material carrier.

A longitudinal shaft 12 is mounted to the cross beams 11, preferablycentrally thereof, as best seen in FIG. 2. Two journal bearings 12a 12bhold the shaft 12 rotatably in place. The left-hand free end of theshaft 12 has rigidly secured thereto a holding arm 13 provided at itsupper end with an engagement member 14 fitting into the opening 5b ofthe material carrier. It is also possible to rigidly secure the shaft 12to the cross beams 11 and tiltably securing the holding arm 13 to thefree end of the shaft 12. In any event, the holding arm can take up thetwo positions, one of which is shown by full lines in FIG. 2 and theother is shown by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 2. In the full lineposition, the arm 13 restrains the material carrier 5 from movingleftwardly as shown in FIG. 1. In the dash-dotted position the arm 13permits the loading of the material carrier into the tilting frame.

The details of the material carrier 5 are not part of the invention. Theright-hand end of the material carrier 5 is restrained by at least onestop member 6 at the right-hand end of the skids 3. Preferably, furtherstop members 7 are provided on top of the skids 3 for adjustment backand forth as indicated by the double arrow 7'. The stops 7 may also beadjustable in a direction crosswise to the length of the skids 3 asshown by the double arrow 7 for stopping the carrier. By making thestops 7 adjustable, it is possible to first move the material carrier 5sufficiently to the right for bringing the arm 13 with its engagementmember 14 into the holding position shown in full lines in FIG. 2.Thereafter, the material carrier is shifted to the left and when theengagement member 14 has fully entered into the opening 5b, the stops 7are moved to the left so that the material carrier is restrained at bothends for transport. The adjustable stop 7 is provided with conventionalmeans for rigidly securing its adjusted position to the tilting frame.

Incidentally, the upright posts 2a are of sufficient length to providethe clearance necessary for the lower left-hand end of the holding arm13 when the entire tilting frame, including the holding arm 13, istilted into the vertical position shown in FIG. 3. A stop 12c centrallysecured to the cross beam 2c makes sure that the tilting frame cannot betilted through an angular range larger than intended. The tiltingdirection into the vertical position is shown by the arrow B in FIG. 1.A locking mechanism 3a holds the tilting frame, or rather the right-handfree end of the skids 3, 3' in a locked position in which the skid endrests on the cross support 10a. Such locking mechanisms 3a areconventional. The stop 12c is also be provided with a conventional latchmechanism 12d for holding the tilting frame securely in its verticalorientation.

As shown in FIG. 1, the upright posts 2a are so located, that thejournal axis defined by the journal studs 9 extends through a zone inwhich the center of gravity C of the material carrier 5 is located. Thisjournal axis does not extend exactly through the center of gravity sothat the material carrier exerts a certain torque moment in a directioncontrary to the arrow B, whereby the material carrier presses theright-hand free ends of the skids 3, 3' down onto the cross support 10awith a certain force. Thus, the locking mechanism 3a is optional becausethe force exerted by the material carrier may be sufficient to maintainthe tilting frame in its horizontal orientation.

For the above described loading operation in which the holding arm 13 ismoved into the dash-dotted position shown in FIG. 2, the cart is backedagainst the door of a dyeing chamber and a material carrier 5 is slidonto the skids 3, 3'. During this operation, the cart may be locked tothe dyeing chamber by conventional means not shown. The loading andsecuring then proceeds as described above. When the material carrier 5is secured in its position with the holding arm 13 and the stop members7 located in the positions shown in FIG. 1, the cart may be safely movedon its wheels 1 to any other location in which the material carrier 5 isthen again turned into its vertical position with the holding arm 13supporting the material carrier which then may be lifted out of thecradle after the stop members 7 has been moved away from their positionshown in FIG. 1. The tilting operation may be performed by aconventional drive not shown. Similarly, the lifting and loweringoperation of the carrier 5 is performed by conventional means not shown,for example, to move the entire material carrier into a centrifugehaving a vertical central axis.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specificexample embodiments, it will be appreciated, that it is intended tocover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:
 1. A cart for transporting a material carrier having rollers, comprising cart frame means, wheel means rotatably secured to said cart frame means for rolling said cart frame means along a floor, skid means for supporting said carrier rollers and said material carrier, tilting frame means for mounting said skid means, journal means (9) for tilting securing said skid mounting tilting frame means to said cart frame means, said journal means having a journal axis extending substantially through a zone in which the center of gravity of said material carrier is located, wherein said skid means comprise two parallel skid rails (3, 3'), and traverse means interconnecting said parallel skid rails, a shaft connected to and extending perpendicularly to said traverse means, an arm (13) journalled through said shaft to said traverse means for holding said material carrier, said arm further comprising an engaging member (14) secured to said arm for entering into an opening of said material carrier to hold said material carrier on said skid rails.
 2. The cart of claim 1, further comprising bearing means (12a, 12b) for centrally securing said shaft to said traverse means for permitting tilting of said holding arm between a material carrier restraining position and a material carrier loading position.
 3. The cart of claim 1, wherein said engaging member is a centering stud secured to an upper end of said holding arm for entering into a central opening of said material carrier.
 4. The cart of claim 1, wherein said cart frame means comprise bracket means (10) arranged for supporting one end of said skid means when said skid means are tilted into a substantially horizontal position.
 5. The cart of claim 4, further comprising locking means for locking said skid means to said bracket means when said skid means are in said substantially horizontal position.
 6. The cart of claim 1, wherein said skid means comprise stop means for blocking said carrier rollers of a material carrier resting on said skid means, said stop means being adjustable relative to said skid means for permitting a temporary shifting of said material carrier along said skid means.
 7. The cart of claim 6, wherein said stop means comprise two stopping members at least one of which is adjustable in its position along said skid means.
 8. The cart of claim 1, further comprising abutment means in said cart frame means for holding said tilting frame means in an angular position relative to the horizontal.
 9. The cart of claim 8, wherein said abutment means comprise latch means for preventing said tilting frame means from accidentally leaving said angular position. 